In this photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010, University of Michigan senior D.J. Heebner, left, of Farmington Hills, Mich., leads a prospective student tour on campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The University of Michigan doesn't wait until freshman orientation to discuss student philanthropy. Instead prospective Wolverines learn about the importance of private contributions while touring the campus. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
/ AP

COLUMBIA, Mo. 
The drill for new college students remains pretty consistent: grab a campus map, buy some overpriced textbooks, save those quarters for laundry and don't forget to call home.

On a growing number of campuses, first-year students are hearing another message. Please give. Not for tuition, but instead as a young donor.

With alumni-giving rates at record lows and lagging state support of postsecondary education, public and private schools alike are focusing their efforts on building lifetime loyalty among still-impressionable students.

Some schools start small. Fundraisers at Emory University in Atlanta pass out piggy banks for freshmen to collect spare change. Texas Christian and California University of Pennsylvania ask for $1 donations at their new student convocations.

Other schools, including the University of Pennsylvania, have created more elaborate efforts, with four-year programs designed to teach students the value of philanthropy as a civic virtue as well as the nuances of higher education funding.

"We are unapologetically laying out expectations for their relationship with Penn," said Elise Betz, executive director of alumni relations. "Before our students enter a classroom, they are given this message."

In the Penn Traditions program, school trustees and donors visit dorms to share their perspective on financing an Ivy League education. Trivia night contests focus on school history and traditions, not just sports or pop culture arcana.

By the second semester of their freshmen year, students can tap an alumni database for job leads or networking contacts. But the first 'ask' - donor-speak for a request for money - doesn't take place until senior year.

The program seems to be paying off. Participation in Penn's senior gift drive increased from 18 percent in 2001 to 70 percent in 2009 - a figure nearly double the school's alumni-giving rate.

The University of Michigan doesn't wait until freshmen orientation to discuss student philanthropy. Instead, prospective Wolverines learn about the importance of private contributions while touring the Ann Arbor campus.

Students at public colleges and universities - and their parents - often mistakenly assume that tax dollars cover the bulk of their education, said Judy Malcolm, director of development communications and donor relations.

Instead, state support of the school's core academic functions hovers near 20 percent - nearly one-fourth the level of support provided by Michigan to its flagship university 50 years ago.

"At privates, from the moment the student sets foot on campus, giving to the university is an expectation," Malcolm said. "Here, they mistakenly think the state is paying for their entire education."

Angelo Armenti Jr., president of California University of Pennsylvania, calls his school's focus on current students as future donors a "survival strategy." State support at the 158-year-old school in western Pennsylvania now accounts for just one-third of its budget, half the funding levels of 25 years ago.

Alumni who graduated during more flush times don't always understand the necessity of private support, Armenti said.

"Most of them graduated at a time when the state paid all the bills," he said. "How do you convince these people that they have to step up and contribute like private university graduates? Educating our students before they become alumni is much more effective and efficient."